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Cerhan, James R.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7482-178X

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Citations 708

Germline Variation in Apoptosis Pathway Genes and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
Kelly, Jennifer L., Novak, Anne J. , Fredericksen, Zachary S., Liebow, Mark , Ansell, Stephen M. , Wang, Alice H., Call, Timothy G. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Witzig, Thomas E. , Kay, Neil E. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Slager, Susan L. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 114 | Issue: 22 | Pages: 3933-3933

10.1182/blood.v114.22.3933.3933 Get It

Abstract Abstract 3933 Poster Board III-869 Background Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is a malignancy of lymphocytes with few known risk factors identified to date. Members of the BCL2 and caspase gene families are known regulators of programmed cell death in these cells, and the t(14;18)(q32;q21) is the most commonly observed chromosomal translocation in NHL, a somatic event which results in constitutive BCL2 expression and inhibition of apoptosis. Further, recent pooled analyses of three case-control studies reported gene level associations for both BCL2L11 (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18:1259) and CASP9 (Blood 2009;114:264) with NHL risk. We therefore evaluated the hypothesis that germline variation in genes from the apoptosis pathway is associated with risk of developing NHL. Methods We genotyped 226 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 36 candidate BCL2-family and capsase-family member genes within the apoptosis pathway in a clinic-based study of 441 newly diagnosed NHL cases (within 9 months of first NHL diagnosis) and 475 frequency matched controls from Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin who were seen at the Mayo Clinic from 2002-2005. Tagging SNPs were selected from HapMap for the following candidate genes: BCL2; BCLAF1; BCL2LA1; BCL2L1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; BAD; BAX; BAG1, 3, 4, 5; BAK1; BID; BIK; BNIP2, 3; HRK; CASP1 – CASP10; APAF1; BIRC3; AIF1; and DFFB. Genotyping was completed using the ParAllele (now Affymetrix) Immune and Inflammation SNP panel, supplemented with 9 SNPs from a custom Illumina OPA. SNP call rate and per person call rate were >95% for all SNPs evaluated. The most prevalent homozygous genotype was used as the reference group, and each SNP was modeled individually as having a log-additive effect in a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, and residence. We used principal components analysis to assess the association with NHL risk at the gene level. Genes at p<0.05 were declared statistically significant, as were SNPs at p<0.05 from significant genes. Results The mean age at diagnosis for cases was 60.1 years, and 58% were male; among controls, the mean age at enrollment into the study was 61.7 years, and 55% were male. The most common NHL subtypes were chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL, 29%), follicular lymphoma (FL, 27%), and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 16%). In gene level analyses, BCL2L11 (also know as BIM) (p=0.0019), BLCAF1 (p=0.0097), BAG5 (p=0.026), and CASP9 (p=0.0022) were statistically significant at p<0.05. For BCL2L11, 2 of the 5 tagSNPs (both intronic) were significant at p<0.05 (rs6746608 and rs12613243). Both genotyped BCLAF1 tagSNPs (rs797558 and rs703193, both intronic) were significant, as was the single genotyped BAG5 tagSNP (rs7042474) from the non-coding region interval of an mRNA transcript. Three of the 7 genotyped CASP9 tagSNPs were significant (rs6685648, rs2020902, rs2042370, all intronic). Similar associations (as assessed by ordinal odds ratios) were observed for significant SNPs from BCLAF1, BAG5, BCL2L11 and CASP9 within the subtypes of CLL/SLL, FL, and DLBCL; however, caution is warranted in interpreting the subtype results due to small sample sizes. Conclusions Three genes from the BCL2 family (BCL2L11, BCLAF1, and BAG5) and one gene from the caspase family (CASP9) were associated with risk of NHL. This confirms gene level results for BCL2L11 and CASP9 in NHL overall and suggests a role for additional BCL2 family members in NHL etiology. In addition to extending these results to other populations, investigation of the functional significance of these genes and consideration of their upstream regulators and downstream targets should assist in clarifying the role of this pathway in lymphomagenesis. Furthermore, in the era of targeted therapeutics, identification of genetic variation in the apoptotic pathway may also assist in predicting prognosis as therapies targeting this pathway are developed. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The IPI Predicts Outcome in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Treated with Immunochemotherapy: A Report of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE
Macon, William R. , Allmer, Cristine, Ansell, Stephen M. , Witzig, T.E. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Link, Brian K. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Wooldridge, James E. , Geyer, S.M., Weiner, George J. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 110 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 1279-1279

10.1182/blood.v110.11.1279.1279 Get It

Abstract The International Prognostic Factor Index (IPI) predicts survival in DLBCL in patients treated with chemotherapy. The Revised IPI (R-IPI) has been reported to be a simpler and more accurate predictor of outcome in patients treated with immunochemotherapy (rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy). We evaluated the predictive value of the IPI and the R-IPI in an observational cohort of unselected patients treated with R-CHOP. Consecutive, newly diagnosed patients age 18 years and older with DLBCL were prospectively offered enrollment into our Lymphoma SPORE Registry. Pathology was centrally reviewed, and composite lymphomas and history of concurrent or prior cancers were excluded. All patients were actively followed for progression free progression (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Here we report on patients enrolled from 9/2002 – 6/2006. 229 patients with a median age of 62 years (range 20–93) were evaluated. 56% were >60 years of age, 16% had a performance score ≥2, 54% had an elevated LDH, 19% had >1 extranodal site, and 51% were stage III/IV. During follow-up, there were 63 progressions (28%) and 45 deaths (20%), and the median follow-up time for living patients was 34 months (range 6–61 months). As shown in the table and figure, the IPI and R-IPI were predictive for both PFS and OS (all p<0.001). The predictive ability of the IPI as measured by 3-year concordance index was stronger for the IPI (0.71) compared to the R-IPI (0.67) and the bootstrap 95% confidence interval for the difference (0.01, 0.08) indicates that this difference was statistically significant. While all factors in the IPI were statistically significant (p<0.05) predictors of OS individually, when included in a multivariate model, an elevated LDH (HR=1.5; p = 0.32) and >1 extranodal sites (HR=1.0; p = 0.96) were no longer significant; similar results were obtained for PFS. The IPI remains a strong predictor of PFS and OS in the immunochemotherapy era. Figure Figure Group % Pats 3 Y PFS HR 95% CI 3 Y OS HR 95% CI Standard IPI Low (0,1) 41% 87% 1.0 ref 93% 1.0 ref Low-Int (2) 22% 62% 3.1 (1.4, 6.8) 74% 4.2 (1.6, 11.1) High-Int (3) 21% 60% 3.1 (1.4, 6.8) 77% 3.4 (1.2, 9.7) High (4,5) 15% 39% 7.2 (3.4, 15.2) 47% 10.2 (4.0, 26.5) R-IPI Very good (0) 11% 96% 1.0 ref 100% 1.0 ref Good (1,2) 53% 74% 6.2 (0.8, 46.0) 84% - - Poor (3–5) 36% 52% 13.5 (1.8, 98.9) 65% - -
The Mutational Landscape of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
Lohr, Jens G. , Stojanov, Petar, Auclair, Daniel , Carter, Scott L. , Sougnez, Carrie, Gould, Joshua , Hernadez-Lemus, Enrique, Imaz, Ivan, Schwarz, Angela, Golub, Todd R. , Lawrence, Michael S. , Chapuy, Bjoern , Cruz‐Gordillo, Peter , Cerhan, James R. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Habermann, Thomas M. , Link, Brian K. , Rangel‐Escareño, Claudia , Hidalgo‐Miranda, Alfredo , Meléndez-Zajgla, Jorge , Fernández-López, Juan Carlos , Shipp, Margaret Ann , Getz, Gad

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 259-259

10.1182/blood.v118.21.259.259 Get It

Abstract Abstract 259 Despite recent progress, our understanding of the genomic basis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is incomplete. We have performed massively parallel whole exome sequencing with deep coverage of 57 primary tumor samples from patients with DLBCL and compared them to matched normal tissue to gain insight into the genetic defects leading to DLBCL. We define genes that are significantly enriched for somatic mutations, and thus, may be drivers of the disease. In addition to identifying genes that are well established to be functionally relevant in DLBCL, such as MyD88, CARD11, EZH2, and BCL2, we also discovered new genes that are significantly mutated that have not been described to play a role in DLBCL previously, such as MLL2, 3 and4 genes and PCLO. One of the challenges for the understanding of DLBCL biology is to determine the relative contribution of different genes with somatic mutations to the pathogenesis of the disease in an individual patient. Identification of functionally relevant mutated genes that only occur in a small number of patients based on prevalence alone may require thousands of patient samples. We therefore devise several strategies to discover genes with a high likelihood of functionally relevant mutations independent of their prevalence. Genes that do not co-occur with other mutated genes in the same patients, i.e. are mutually exclusive, are more likely to represent strong drivers, and to occur early in the development of DLBCL. We determined that TP53, BCL2, PIM1, and CD79B fall into this group. We apply pathway-focused analysis to identify mutated genes with low prevalence that are highly likely to have a functional impact. For instance, we identified G13D mutations in KRAS in two patients, and mutations in BRAF, NOTCH1, SOCS1, and PTEN in other patients that were previously described in other malignancies. These mutated genes are identified as part of significantly enriched gene sets, including the B cell receptor signaling/NFkB pathway, JAK/STAT, and antigen processing gene sets. In addition to these pathways that are important for physiological B cell activation, we find that many histone methyltransferases are enriched as a geneset in addition to MLL2. We identified a number of hotspots that are subject to somatic mutation. Our data imply that many of these hotspots may be targets of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is usually involved in somatic hypermutation, suggesting a possible mechanism of how somatic mutation in DLBCL is mediated. In summary, our data define novel genetic defects in DLBCL by whole exome sequencing of 57 patients. Our data suggest that driver mutations may not be randomly distributed across the genome, but may occur in a directed fashion. We identified new genes not previously implicated in DLBCL, and have developed strategies to prioritize mutations that are most likely to be drivers of the disease. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Cardiac Outcomes in a Prospective Cohort of Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors
Thompson, Carrie A. , Luo, Hongxiu , Allmer, Cristine, Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Inwards, David J. , Johnston, Patrick B. , Porrata, Luis F. , Roger, Véronique L. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 2656-2656

10.1182/blood.v118.21.2656.2656 Get It

Abstract Abstract 2656 Background Treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) can lead to development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We sought to describe the cumulative incidence of CVD in adult NHL survivors diagnosed in the recent treatment era (since 2002) and identify clinical and treatment predictors for its development. Methods All patients were from the Mayo component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). The MER offers enrollment to all consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NHL who are US residents and age >18 years. Clinical data from the time of diagnosis and treatment data are abstracted from medical records using a standard protocol. Patients are prospectively contacted via telephone or in person per protocol every 6 months for the first 3 years from diagnosis and yearly afterwards to assess disease status and development of comorbid conditions. CVD events, including heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), arrhythmia, pericarditis, and valvular heart disease, occurring after diagnosis were identified during follow-up and validated against medical records. HF was validated with the Cardiovascular Health Study Criteria and/or the Framingham Criteria. MI was validated using case definition standards of coronary heart disease, while arrhythmia, pericarditis, and valvular heart disease were validated using clinical definitions. The prevalence of CVD and associations between CVD and clinical characteristics (sex, age) and treatment (radiation, anthracyclines) were performed using Cox models with a competing risk approach. Results 1164 patients with NHL were enrolled into the MER at Mayo Clinic between 9/1/2002–2/28/2008. 646 were male (56%) and median age at diagnosis was 62 years (range 20–93). Median follow-up of all cases was 59 months (range 1–105). 131 patients reported CVD prior to the diagnosis of NHL and were excluded from analyses. An additional 76 patients did not have follow-up and were excluded. Of the 957 remaining patients, 75 (7.8%) self-reported a new diagnosis of CVD. Of these, 71 cases had available medical records. 57 of the 71 reviewed cases (80%) were validated (18 HF, 9 MI, 21 arrhythmia, 2 pericarditis, and 10 valvular heart disease). Cumulative incidence of CVD at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years was 1.3%, 3.7%, 5.2%, and 7.4%, respectively. Median time from NHL diagnosis to CVD was 26.5 months (range 1–84). Older age was associated with increased risk of overall CVD (p-value<0.001). Gender (p=0.59), radiation therapy (p=0.61), and anthracycline treatment (p=0.25) were not associated with the incidence of overall CVD. Among types of CVD, anthracycline use was associated with development of HF (HR=5.30; p-value=0.008) and arrhythmia (HR=2.68; p-value=0.04). Radiation was associated with development of arrhythmia (HR=2.73; p-value=0.03), while older age was associated with development of HF (HR=1.36 per 5 year increment; p-value=0.003) and arrhythmia (HR=1.25 per 5 year increment; p-value=0.02). Conclusions The risk of CVD in patients with NHL is approximately 1% per year after the initial diagnosis of lymphoma. The most commonly occurring CVDs in this cohort of NHL survivors were arrhythmia and HF. Treatment with anthracyclines and radiation are associated with increased risk of developing some types of CVD. 80% of self-reported CVD events in NHL survivors were validated using epidemiologic criteria. Future studies will include building models incorporating comorbid health conditions and lifestyle factors to determine risk of CVD as well as the impact of CVD on quality of life. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Of Event-Free Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Treated With Rituximab and Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy: A Lysa and Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Multistage Study
Ghesquières, Hervé , Véron, Amélie S, Novak, Anne J. , Béné, Marie C. , Lamy, Thierry , Ansell, Stephen M. , Tilly, Hervé , Cunningham, Julie M. , Olswold, Curtis L., Asmann, Yan W. , Molina, Thierry Jo , Salles, Gilles , Salles, Gilles A , Slager, Susan L. , Jardin, Fabrice , Maurer, Matthew J. , Fest, Thierry , Habermann, Thomas M. , Haïoun, Corinne , Witzig, Thomas E. , Feldman, Andrew L. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Link, Brian K. , Milpied, Noel Jean , Cox, David G. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 76-76

10.1182/blood.v122.21.76.76 Get It

Abstract Background Relatively few studies have evaluated the role of host (germline) genetics in predicting outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and of these, most were small candidate gene studies without replication and/or from the pre-R-CHOP era. We report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of outcome in DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy. We used two independent studies for discovery, and validated the results in two additional independent studies. Methods In the discovery phase, we conducted a meta-analysis of two GWAS studies of DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy, the first study as part of the prospective clinical trials of the LNH2003B program (N=540) of the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) and the second as part of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (N=316), a prospective observational study from the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). Genotyping for the GWAS was performed using the Illumina 610 (LYSA) and 660 Quad (SPORE) BeadArrays (Illumina, San Diego, USA). HapMap2 was used to impute additional SNPs. Association testing was conducted assuming a log-additive genetic model and using Cox regression analyses. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for event-free survival (EFS), with adjustment for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. The two studies were then combined using the fixed effects inverse variance method based on the beta estimates and standard errors from each study. From the meta-analysis, 89 SNPs were selected for validation, based on a minor allele frequency (MAF) >0.05 and LD pattern for multiple SNPs from the same region. Validation cohorts were an independent set of DLBCL patients from the SPORE (SPORE-2, N=366) and DLBCL patients from the prospective GOELAMS 075 phase III study (N=294), and validation genotyping was conducted using the Illumina VeraCode platform. We then conducted a meta-analysis of the 4 studies. We report SNPs with both a statistical significance of p<5x10-6 and effect sizes in the same direction across the 4 studies in the meta-analysis. For the latter SNPs, we also report the results for overall survival (OS), adjusted for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. Results In the final meta-analysis of all four studies for the prediction of EFS, the top SNP was rs7765004 (MAF=0.30; HR=1.45; p=9.7 x 10-8) in the 6q21 region, which is near the MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate) and HDAC2 genes. MARCKS encodes for a protein involved in cell mobility, while HDAC2 belongs to the histone deacetylase family. Additional SNPs from this region included rs6918103 (MAF=0.25; HR=1.38; p=7.6 x 10-6), which marks an EZH2 histone binding site, and rs11969684 (MAF=0.12; HR=1.43; p=3.3 x 10-5). The next hit was rs7712513 (MAF=0.31; HR=1.40; p=3.2 x 10-7), which is near arginine-fifty homeobox pseudogene 1 (ARGFXP1) on chromosome 5q23.2. This was followed by a region on chromosome 8q13.3, with the SNP rs9298183 (MAF=0.29; HR=1.41; p=1.4 x 10-6) from LOC100132891 showing the strongest association, along with 3 other SNPs from this region (rs2035376, rs6472637, and rs1600797; all p<5 x 10-6). These SNPs are near the musculin gene (MSC) a transcriptional repressor of E2A frequently silenced by promoter methylation in DLBCL. Finally, rs2253986 (MAF=0.27; HR=1.39; p=3.4 x 10-6) at chromosome 16q12.2, along with rs2253971 and rs6499810, were associated with EFS. These SNPs are located in CES5A (carboxylesterase 5A), which encodes a member of the carboxylesterase family. The family members are responsible for the hydrolysis or transesterification of various xenobiotics. The top SNPs associated with EFS also predicted OS, including rs7765004 (HR=1.41; p=1.2 x 10-5), rs7712513 (HR=1.39; p=8.4 x 10-6), rs9298183 (HR=1.36; p=3.5 x 10-5), and rs2253986 (HR=1.35; p=5.2 x 10-5). Conclusions Although our top SNPs on did not reach genome-wide significance (p<5x10-8), they showed clear consistency across the four large prospective studies and predicted both EFS and OS independently of IPI. The strongest findings were from loci on 6q21, 8q13.3, 5q23.2, and 16q12.2, and several genes from these regions are involved in methylation and xenobiotic metabolism, supporting a role for host genetic variation in these pathways in DLBCL prognosis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A Lymphoma-Associated Mutation in BAFF-R Drives Constitutive PI3K Signaling and Increased Expression of Pro-Survival Genes
Secreto, Frank J., Price-Troska, Tammy, Ziesmer, Steven C., Ansell, Stephen M. , Novak, Anne J. , Manske, Michelle K. , Price-Troska, Tammy, Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 2642-2642

10.1182/blood.v118.21.2642.2642 Get It

Abstract Abstract 2642 BAFF is essential for B cell maturation, and a lack of either BAFF or its primary receptor, BAFF-R, results in a severe depletion of T2 marginal zone and follicular B cells. Elevated serum BAFF levels have been correlated with an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), along with a more aggressive phenotype. A growing body of genetic evidence points toward an association between the development of human disease and variation in genes encoding BAFF and its receptors. Recently, we characterized a novel lymphoma-associated mutation in TNFRSF13C, the gene encoding BAFF-R. This mutation (BAFF-R H159Y) encodes a His159Tyr substitution in the C-terminus of BAFF-R adjacent to the TRAF3 binding motif. Signaling through BAFF-R H159Y results in increased NF-κB activity, elevated immunoglobulin production and increased association with TRAF2, TRAF3 and TRAF6 compared to wild type (WT) BAFF-R. We have detected this mutation in 6% of total NHL cases (n=129), and in 10% of follicular lymphoma (FL) cases (n=41) evaluated thus far. We previously reported that BAFF-R H159Y expressing mouse B cells exhibited significantly more resistance to Fas ligand (FasL) induced apoptosis compared to their cells expressing BAFF-R WT, and we propose here that BAFF-R H159Y mediated increases in PI3K activity may explain such an enhanced anti-apoptotic response. In this study we now show that BAFF stimulated HEK 293 cells stably expressing BAFF-R H159Y not only display significantly increased Akt phosphorylation when compared to BAFF-R WT expressing cells, but also demonstrate robust Akt phosphorylation in the absence of BAFF. BAFF-R H159Y-dependent Akt activation also led to activation of the downstream Akt targets mTOR and GSK3β and their phosphorylation was inhibited following treatment with the PI3- kinase inhibitor wortmannin. We next examined the impact of the BAFF-R H159Y mutation on expression of BAFF-target genes. Quantitative PCR analyses revealed that BAFF-R H159Y cells exhibited a pattern of gene expression indicative of promoting cell survival, displaying significantly higher levels of BCL2, BCL2L1 and PIN1, while down-regulating expression of the pro-apoptotic gene BIM. We recently reported that TRAF6 associates with BAFF-R, and that such binding is more pronounced in cells expressing BAFF-R H159Y. In order to investigate the role TRAF6 plays in mediating BAFF-R-dependent PI3K activity, we silenced TRAF6 expression in HEK 293 and Karpas 422 lymphoma cells using TRAF6 shRNA. Reduced TRAF6 protein expression resulted in a parallel decrease in BAFF-R WT mediated phosphorylation of mTOR in Karpas 422 cells and phosphorylation of both Akt and GSK3β was markedly reduced in BAFF-R H159Y expressing HEK 293 cells. Interestingly, TRAF6 knock-down did not affect NF-kB2 activation in either Karpas 422 or HEK BAFF-R expressing cells suggesting that Akt does not play a role in BAFF-R mediated activation of non-canonical NF-kB. Finally, preliminary co-precipitation studies indicate that Akt can be recruited to BAFF-R itself, and our initial observations suggest that such an association is significantly reduced in cells expressing BAFF-R H159Y. Taken together, these studies suggest that the BAFF-R H159Y mutation confers enhanced BAFF-R-dependent PI3K signaling and pro-survival gene expression independent of BAFF. Moreover, such enhanced P13K activation is partly dependent upon TRAF6, and decreased recruitment of Akt to BAFF-R H159Y may function to increase the amount of this PI3K target for activation. Thus, BAFF-R H159Y likely contributes to BAFF signaling irregularities in NHL patients harboring this mutation, and may predispose individuals to developing lymphoma regardless of their serum BAFF concentration. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Genetic Polymorphisms In Genes Involved In R-CHOP Metabolism and Event-Free and Overall Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Ansell, Stephen M. , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Micallef, Ivana N. , Thompson, Carrie A. , Wang, Alice H., Macon, William R. , Cerhan, James R. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Wooldridge, James E. , Syrbu, Sergei , Slager, Susan L. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Link, Brian K.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 116 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 996-996

10.1182/blood.v116.21.996.996 Get It

Abstract Abstract 996 Background: Treatment with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) has improved survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) lymphoma, although a significant percentage of patients do not achieve a remission or they relapse. One potential explanation for this observation is that host pharmacogenetic background may impact metabolism, detoxification and transport of R-CHOP. However, there are few prospectively collected data that address pharmacogenetics in DLBCL, particularly for event-free and overall survival in the rituximab era. We therefore tested the hypothesis that functional candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genes involved in the metabolism of CHOP (CYP2C19, CYP3A5, ABCB1, ABCC2, ABCG2, RAC2, CYBA, NR3C1, GSTA1, GSTP1, TP53) and rituximab (FCGR2A, FCGR3A) influence prognosis in DLBCL. Methods: We genotyped 19 SNPs from 13 genes in a prospective cohort of newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with germline DNA enrolled at the Mayo Clinic and University of Iowa from 2002–2008 as part of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource of the Iowa/Mayo Lymphoma SPORE. All patients were systematically followed through 2009 for overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), defined as disease progression, retreatment or death due to any cause. All SNPs were genotyped on the Illumina Golden-Gate platform. Cox regression was used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for individual SNPs with OS and EFS. Each SNP was modeled with the most prevalent homozygous genotype used as the reference group. An ordinal test was used to assess the trend across genotypes, and a p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. All Cox models adjusted for International Prognostic Index (IPI) and treatment. Results: The median age at diagnosis of the 439 DLBCL patients was 62 years (range 18–92). The IPI was distributed as follows: 0–1 (34%), 2 (26%), 3 (24%) and 4–5 (16%). All patients were treated with chemotherapy, and 91% received R-CHOP. Through 2009, there were 171 events (39%) and 122 (28%) deaths, with a median follow-up for living patients of 49 months (range 1–98). The SNP rs1045642 in the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein gene ABCB1 was associated with OS (p=0.012). The variant T allele for ABCB1 rs1045642 (minor allele frequency (MAF)=0.47) is associated with a silent I→I substitution, and the T allele predicts low enzyme expression. Compared to CC homozygotes, patients with CT (HR=0.66, 95% CI 0.44–0.99) or TT (HR=0.53, 95% CI 0.31–0.90) genotypes had superior OS. We also observed an association of the GSTP1 SNP rs1695 with OS (p-trend=0.018). The variant G allele (MAF of 0.31) is associated with an A→V substitution, and this change predicts low enzyme expression. Compared to AA homozygotes, patients with the AG (HR=0.78, 95% CI 0.54–1.14) or GG (HR=0.39, 95% CI 0.17–0.90) genotypes had superior OS. Nearly identical associations for these two SNPS were observed with EFS. There were no significant associations with any of the other SNPs that we evaluated. Conclusions: In a large series of newly diagnosed DLBCL patients treated in the rituximab era, we found evidence that genetic variation in ABCB1 and GSTP1 is associated with improved OS and EFS after adjusting for IPI and treatment. The variant allele for ABCB1 is associated with slower enzyme activity, favorably impacting doxorubicin and vincristine pharmacodynamics, and the variant allele for GSTP1 is associated with slower detoxification of doxorubicin and vincristine, increasing bioavailability of these drugs. A comprehensive evaluation of the role of pharmacogenetics in DLBCL is warranted. Support: P50 CA97274, R01 CA129539. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Significant Recent Declines In Adult Leukemia Incidence Rates In the United States
Ross, Julie A. , Soler, J, Nguyen, Phuong L., Johnson, Kimberly , Cerhan, James R. , Blair, Cindy K.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 116 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 873-873

10.1182/blood.v116.21.873.873 Get It

Abstract Abstract 873 Each year in the United States, approximately 45,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with leukemia and 22,000 will die of the disease. Due to this poor survival, leukemia ranks fifth in person years of life lost among specific cancers. Little is known about causes, although exposure to solvents, radiation, pesticides and, to a modest extent, cigarette smoke has been implicated for some subtypes. The last comprehensive report of leukemia trends covered the period 1973–1998 [Xie Y et al, Cancer 2003]. Evaluation of recent leukemia incidence trends could provide important new etiologic insights. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program data, we analyzed leukemia incidence trends in U.S. adults (≥ 20 years of age) by age, leukemia subtype (acute myeloid (AML), acute lymphoid (ALL), chronic myeloid (CML), chronic lymphoid (CLL)) sex, race, and ethnicity for the period 1987–2007. Frequencies, age-adjusted incidence rates (IR, per million), and trends were calculated along with annual percent change (APC) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Joinpoint analyses were used to detect any significant directional changes in IRs over the period. Of 43,970 newly diagnosed cases identified, IRs increased with age and were consistently higher in males than females for all four subtypes. The highest IRs occurred for CLL (54.4), followed by AML (38.3), CML (20.6) and ALL (7.0). With regard to trends, IRs for CLL (APC -0.5; CI: -0.9, -0.1) and CML (APC -1.2; CI: -1.6, -0.8) declined over the time period; declines were observed in males and females, and by race and ethnicity. Male(M):Female(F) IR ratios remained relatively constant at approximately 2.0 and 1.7, respectively. For ALL, IRs decreased in males (APC -0.9; CI: -1.9, 0.2) but slightly increased in females (APC 0.4; CI: -1.0, 1.7), which was most notable in Hispanics (APC 4.0; CI: 1.2, 6.8). In contrast to CML and CLL, the overall M:F rate ratio for ALL decreased, although it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.08). For AML, IRs increased significantly for males (APC 1.0; CI: 0.3,1.6) and females (APC 1.7; CI: 0.7, 2.7) from 1987–2000 and 1987–2001, respectively. However, since then, AML IRs for males have been significantly decreasing by 4.2% per year (CI: -6.4, -2.1), while IRs for females have been decreasing by 1.6% per year (CI: -4.1, 0.9). Across the entire time period 1987–2007, there was a statistically significant negative trend (p=0.002) in the M:F IR ratio for AML. Decreasing IRs across many leukemias since 1987 are unlikely to reflect changes in screening or diagnostic coding practices. Instead, these observations may reflect temporal changes in etiologically relevant environmental exposures. Of note, the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the population has decreased and occupational safety practices (e.g., reducing solvent/radiation/pesticide exposure) have improved over the last several decades, which could contribute to the gradual decreases in some IRs observed. In contrast, the rapid and significant decrease noted for AML since 2000, especially following a significant increase, was striking and deserved additional scrutiny. We further consulted with our cancer registry colleagues to determine whether the introduction of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as a new malignancy in SEER in 2001 could be influencing recent AML trends given the (apparently) coincidental overlap in time periods. Of note, approximately one third of MDS patients subsequently develop AML. We learned that AML following an MDS diagnosis from 2001–2009 was not reportable to SEER and therefore not counted. We are not aware that this has been documented in the literature. However, beginning for 2010 diagnoses, SEER changed this practice such that AML following MDS will be captured as a second malignancy. Based on these changes in AML surveillance, it will especially be important to monitor future trends for this malignancy. Overall, this study demonstrates the value of in-depth analyses of SEER cancer IRs and trends; analyses may reveal patterns of clinical and/or etiological importance, or, in the instance of AML, unpublished coding rule changes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
IPI24: An International Study To Create An IPI For The Event-Free Survival At 24 Months (EFS24) Endpoint For DLBCL In The Immunochemotherapy Era
Ghesquières, Hervé , Jaïs, Jean‐Philippe , Thompson, Carrie A. , Delarue, Richard, Micallef, Ivana N. , Peyrade, Frédéric, Macon, William R. , Ketterer, Nicolas , Fitoussi, Olivier , Kurtin, Paul J. , Allmer, Cristine, Nicolas‐Virelizier, Emmanuelle , Tilly, Hervé , Maurer, Matthew J. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Haïoun, Corinne , Molina, Thierry Jo , Syrbu, Sergei , Slager, Susan L. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Link, Brian K. , Salles, Gilles , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 362-362

10.1182/blood.v122.21.362.362 Get It

Abstract We have recently reported that event-free survival at 24 months from diagnosis (EFS24) is a robust endpoint for assessment of disease related outcome for newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with anthracycline-based immunochemotherapy (IC). Patients who achieve EFS24 following IC have a subsequent overall survival that is equivalent to the age and sex matched general population. The IPI was developed in the pre-rituximab era using OS/EFS endpoints. While the IPI is associated with outcome in the IC era, the original survival estimates for the IPI risk groups are outdated. The IPI is also a discrete risk classifier, with only 6 possible groups. Here we remodel the IPI using EFS24 as the endpoint in a large international cohort of patients treated with IC. This model provides an individual level 0-100% risk of failing to achieve EFS24 for each patient and can be used for patient prognosis, treatment stratification, and risk assessment. Methods Newly diagnosed DLBCL patients treated with immunochemotherapy from the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource, NCCTG N0489 clinical trial, GELA LNH2003B program, and a Lyon, France based hospital registry were included in the original EFS24 study. Patients with a relapse, progression, unplanned re-treatment, or death due to any cause within 730 days of diagnosis were considered a failure for the EFS24 endpoint. Patients alive and progression/relapse free at 730 days from diagnosis with no subsequent treatment following initial IC were considered a success for the EFS24 endpoint. Variables selected for potential model inclusion were the IPI components (age, stage, ECOG PS, number of extranodal sites, and LDH), as well as standard clinical variables typically reported in studies of DLBCL: presence of B-symptoms, bone marrow involvement, bulky disease (>10 cm), and sex. The IPI24, a prognostic model for EFS24, was developed using logistic regression models. Model building began by fitting the classic IPI score (0-5), then allowing individual IPI variables to carry different model weights and number of categories, followed by dropping insignificant variables, finally adding any additional significant variables. Model performance was assessed using bias corrected c-statistics, AIC, and R2 values. Model selection was done using the complete case set with multiple imputation on the full dataset used to refine parameter estimates for the final model. Results 1596 total patients were available for modeling. The median age was 62 (range 18-93) and 53% were male; 33% were IPI 0-1, 25% were IPI 2, 25% were IPI 3, and 17% were IPI of 4-5. The failure rate for achieving EFS24 was 29%. All variables but sex (p=0.33) were univariately associated with EFS24 (p<6.4x10-5). The original IPI had good prognostic ability for EFS24 (c=0.696, p=2.2x10-32). Allowing multiple categories for ECOG PS, stage, and age (continuous) improved model fit and prognostic ability (c=0.727). The number of extranodal sites was not significant when IPI variables were modeled separately and was removed from the model. Sex and bulky disease were additional significant variables when added to the model. Thus, the final IPI24 model contained the following risk predictors: male sex, ECOG PS (0 vs. 1 vs 2 vs 3-4), stage (I vs. II, vs. III vs. IV), LDH (elevated vs. normal range), bulky disease > 10cm, and age (continuous). This model resulted in improved fit and prognostic ability (c=0.749) over the standard IPI (c=0.696, bootstrap p<0.001). Model validation was performed on an additional 158 patients from the SPORE MER and showed good concordance (c=0.697). Additional validation is planned in a larger set of independent patients. Conclusion The IPI24, generated using standard clinical variables, yields an individual risk prediction for failing to achieve EFS24 following IC for treatment of DLBCL. The IPI24 has superior prognostic ability to the standard IPI and can be implemented in the clinic using a nomogram or as a simple electronic application. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Elevated Monoclonal Free Light Chains Are a Serum Marker of ABC Type Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Katzmann, Jerry A., Macon, William R. , Micallef, Ivana N. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Cerhan, James R. , Doǧan, Ahmet , Gupta, Mamta , Syrbu, Sergei , Link, Brian K. , Witzig, Thomas E.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 118 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 1591-1591

10.1182/blood.v118.21.1591.1591 Get It

Abstract Abstract 1591 Background: The serum free light chain (FLC) assay quantitates free kappa and free lambda immunoglobulin light chains. We previously showed elevated FLC are present in approximately 1 in 3 diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients from both a phase II cooperative group clinical trial and a large clinic based epidemiology cohort. Approximately 10% of DLBCL patients had elevated FLC that was monoclonal in these series. Patients with monoclonal elevated FLC have very poor outcome with almost 50% of patients progressing in the first 15 months following initial treatment with immunochemotherapy. Unlike patients with polyclonal FLC elevation, where a variety of host effects may cause a rise in both kappa and lambda, it is likely the excess FLC in monoclonal patients is directly related to the tumor. DLBCL are a heterogenous group of tumors that can be classified into germinal center (GCB) or activated B cell (ABC) groupings using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining algorithms. Here we examine the association of monoclonal free light chains with ABC vs. GCB DLBCL tumors. Methods: Newly diagnosed DLBCL patients were prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) or NCCTG clinical trial N0489. Serum FLC was quantitated from enrollment research serum draws using the Freelite FLC assay (The Binding Site, Ltd., Birmingham, UK). Monoclonal elevated FLC was defined as an elevated kappa or lambda with a corresponding abnormal FLC ratio. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed on paraffin tissue from research tissue microarrays (TMAs). Results: IHC tissue staining was available from 12 patients with monoclonal elevated FLC unrelated to renal failure. Germinal center markers were predominantly negative: 2 of 11 were LMO2 positive (18%), 1 of 12 was CD10 positive (8%), and zero cases out of 11 were GCET1 positive. FoxP1 was positive in 5 of 9 cases (56%) and MUM1 was positive in 4 of 12 cases (33%). By the Tally algorithm, 10 of 11 cases (91%) were ABC type DLBCL The percentage of ABC patients by the Tally algorithm in the corresponding DLBCL patients without monoclonal FLC was 45% (N=108, p=0.004). Conclusions: Approximately 10% of DLBCL patients have elevated monoclonal FLC and these patients have poor prognosis. Elevated monoclonal FLC may be a serum marker for ABC-type lymphoma, as the tumors from patients are predominantly negative for germinal center stains and ABC by the Tally algorithm. The secretion of light chains by the tumor suggests an activated B cell clone and the poor prognosis is characteristic of ABC type DLBCL and. Given the likelihood of the excess monoclonal FLC being tumor related, the potential exists for tracking of tumor response and progression via serum FLC in these patients. Replication of these findings in an additional cohort of DLBCL patients is planned. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.